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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Lip Smackin' Ribs

Now I know this is not an everyday meal for most of us, but
when you want
to do something special for your family or guests, it’s an easy
knock-your-socks-off main dish. So few ingredients to produce something
incredibly delicious and tender! I had been planning on experimenting with my
rice cooker as a slow cooker for making ribs, but an extended nap in the
afternoon left me with less than 2 hours for braising. Most recipes I came
across suggested a minimum braise of at least 2 hours so that was out of the
question. Out came my pressure cooker to the rescue, and in an hour I had
mouthwatering, fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs. You’ve seriously got to try this!
I bought my ribs from a cold storage meat supplier, but they are the local
ones—not the crazy expensive imported ones. I would imagine you could just
point to your own ribs at a local butcher and get the same thing, too. It might
just require some trimming of skin and excess fat at home—from the pork, that
is, not you.

Once you cut the ribs apart, lightly cut an X into the back
of them to keep them from curling during cooking. Heat the pressure cooker over
medium heat and add the oil. You’ll need to vent your kitchen as this next part
may get a little smoky. Sprinkle the ribs with a small amount of the brown
sugar and season liberally with salt and pepper on one side. Lay the ribs sugar
side down (do two batches) into the pan, allowing them to get some brown
searing. Seasoning the other side while they are in the pan. When the ribs lift
easily from the bottom, flip them and sear the other side. Remove from pan and
sear the second batch. Once you’ve removed all the browned ribs, add your
liquid to the bottom of the pan. As it heats, scrape the browned bits off the
bottom to flavor the sauce. I used ½ cup red wine for this deglazing and 1 cup
chicken stock. Add all the remaining brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and liquid.
Keep on medium heat, stirring until the brown sugar has dissolved. Add the ribs
to the pan, and clamp on the pressure cooker lid. Bring the cooker up to
pressure on high heat, and after the first “whistle” or reaching of pressure,
reduce the heat to low. That’s it! Wait 1 hour with it on low, release the
pressure, and enjoy. The sauce will thicken some on standing. Serve with
something that can soak up all that delicious sauce like roasted or mashed
potatoes, rice, or bread.